Human
by the-hippie-whittlers
Summary: Sasuke and Sakura are finally together, and Naruto and Hinata are on their way there. But when Sasuke and Sakura's relationship takes a turn, Naruto is pulled in and Hinata begins to fade. NaruHina SasuSaku


**Note: ****This is my first fanfiction. I'm Cali from the Hippie whittlers, not Ali, by the way. This is not my best writing, but my friends loved it so I decided to post it. There probably will be a sequel to this story, so please review! Constructive critisism is good, but no flames. ****  
**

**Human**

Part One

If Hinata had a choice in the matter, she would have never let her father treat her that way. Well, maybe not. Actually, she owed all of this to her father. Well, maybe Sasuke too, and well, maybe Sakura. And, well, maybe Naruto-kun.

Okay, you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? Alright, let me start from the beginning of the story instead of the end. I think that possibly, maybe, by some weird twist of fate, by some type of fold in the fabric of the space time continuum, that might work.

It was almost sunset in the village of Konohagure. Naruto was completely content and feasting upon ramen.

Recently, Uchiha Sasuke had returned to the village, sparking happiness and excitement in the eyes of a certain pink-haired girl. Naruto was relieved to have his best friend back, and (to everyone's surprise --) Sasuke had almost immediately hit it off with Sakura. That's right, they were a couple. Not only did you see them tooling around the village almost every day now, but Sasuke was always smirking and Sakura always giggling, and Sasuke's arm was always wrapped around Sakura's waist, in way that seemed to be saying, 'Lay off, perverts.' And trust me, there were enough of those in Konoha that saying that amounted to something.

As I said earlier, Naruto was 'content'. It wasn't that he wasn't happy with the new couple, seriously. If they were happy, so was he. Well, he was happy for them, but not for himself. He still loved Sakura-chan. It was plain and true, and it was hard to live with that feeling following him around, threatening to bite him. Well, he would rather be bitten and hurt by feeling than show any sign of weakness. (You know why? Because he's a MALE!)

Suddenly, he heard the crash of glass and screaming. He wasn't able to make out the words, but he heard someone running towards him, or- whoa, wait a minute. PAST him. Whoever the person was, they ran as fast as he had ever seen. Well, actually, he didn't see any trace of who the person could be, but the way they ran told him something. Something that he knew very well, a type of plague that could sneak up on you and infect you, slowly unraveling your mind and stripping down your dignity until there's nothing left but a naked, vulnerable form waiting to be attacked.

Shame.

Whatever the thing was, it had a strong aura, about as strong as Sakura's. There was something about the way the person ran that weirded him out. The thing was, the person ran, like, REALLY fast, but, as he leaned over from his stool to look at the ground, there was a sticky red liquid mixed with the dusty soil. Which meant, whatever that thing was, it was injured. And, considering his inauguration was in only seven months, he began to take responsibility for the residents of Konoha now. So, he followed the aura into the forest. He leapt, fast as lightning through the forest, trying as hard as possible to follow the fast-fading energy. He heard a moaning in a clearing up ahead, but he wondered if it was only the night wind or an animal.

"Who's there?" A light voice spoke out. Oh, but he only knew that voice too well. But, alas, the girl sensed his strength and moved away, afraid.

"Hinata! Please, stop!" He heard her feet shift as she collapsed on the ground.

"Hinata-chan, are you alright?" Hinata's eyelashes fluttered open and her pearl-shaded eyes became aware that Naruto was standing there, looking over her with a supportive hand on her back. She pushed herself up on her wobbly arms, surprisingly feeling a sharp pain in her left arm. She ignored that and looked at her cut foot. Naruto had kindly removed the glass and bandaged it. She also had a bandage all the way up her forearm. That would explain the sudden pain, right? He had put up her hair and lay her down in a bed, but he didn't pull the covers over her. She also found a small bedside table that had a glass of water on it and a small bowl of soup.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I guess I'm okay." She smiled.

"Um, Hinata, why did you run away in the forest?"

"Until I heard your voice, I thought it was Neji. I was too afraid and his power signature isn't very unique. However, yours is MUCH stronger. I wasn't able to recognize that because of fear."

"Why were you afraid of Neji?" There was a long silence.

"You don't want to talk about it? Hinata, you and Neji are family! You shouldn't-"

"Not anymore." Hinata cut him off.

"What?" Naruto stopped and looked at his friend, but her head was turned away. Hinata's eyes filled with tears.

"We're not family anymore." She looked up at him as the tears fell from her eyes. Naruto gasped and got down from his chair and sat next to her on the bed. He held her hand as she cried, and she reached over and hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He stroked her hair lovingly and rubbed her back. Of course, it was at that moment he realized that she was wearing nothing but a white button down shirt that was too big for her and some shorts, and he probably shouldn't be touching her, even if it wasn't sexually triggered. It wasn't a nervousness, thing, but he realized it would be more 'respectful' for the Hokage. That and, this would be considered 'scandalous'. Then again, he realized, he didn't care. There was a girl who needed him, the girl he had needed to help him get this far. And if she needed him, there was nothing he wouldn't do to be there for her.

"_Come on, Naruto-kun, keep going, you can do it!" Hinata yelled as she bobbed up and down. _

_"How about when you're training I'll sit on your back while you do push-ups!" Naruto grunted from underneath her. Hinata sighed. _

_"Naruto-kun, you asked me to sit here." She said. _

_"Yes, but next time, don't listen to me. I thought you knew I was an idiot." Hinata giggled and continued to read her book. _

_1 hour later _

_"Hinata?" _

_"Yes?" The blue-haired Hyuuga asked, setting her book on the ground as Naruto bent down. _

_"How much do your boobs weigh?" Hinata gasped and slapped his head. _

_"Naruto-kun, don't ask me that! We're in a public park!" Naruto grunted. _

_"Yeah, and no one's here. But seriously, how much do they weigh, 'cuz I think that that is where the majority of weight is coming from." She hit him again. _

_"Naruto-" _

_"Seriously, if you got a reduction you would lose like, 50 pounds." Hinata found it pretty hard not to laugh, to be quite honest. _

_"Ha ha, you're laughing." He said through clenched teeth. "You thought it was funny. _

_"Did not!" She argued, blushing. He finally couldn't take it and collapsed. Hinata rolled over to the side and came around the front, helping him sit up. _

_"I'm sorry if I was too heavy." She said. _

_"No, it's okay. Really, it's better than having a girl who weighs nothing. It's so creepy, it's like they're not real." Hinata smiled slightly. Naruto realized that he was holding her hand and broke away from her, shocked. He had just felt…comfortable, but nervous. Like, that was right, but it was…oh! WHAT THE CRAP! _

_"So," Hinata lay down on the ground. "All aboard." She pointed to her back. _

_"Hinata-chan, I was kidding." _

_"Yeah, but I think I want to try it." _

_"No." _

_"Yes." _

_"Hinata-" _

_"If I can't hold up for an hour, than I'll buy you ramen." Naruto paused for a minute. _

_"Okay, fine." _

"Okay." Naruto got up off the bed and left the room. Hinata looked up, confused.

"Naruto-kun, what-"

"You can live with me." He offered, unrolling a sleeping bag. "I'll take the floor."

"No, that's unthinkable, I won't let you-" Naruto sat up and put his hand over her mouth.

"Hinata, this isn't an offer. You're staying here." He insisted and continued preparing his makeshift bed.

"But I-"

"Am not going to argue." He finished her sentence, fluffed his pillow, and rearranged his blankets. "Okay, I'm done. Whaddya wanna do?" He asked. Hinata looked at the ground and tried to pretend nothing was wrong, that she _liked _looking at the ground. In fact, the ground was _fascinating. _The only thought that really came to her mind, was _'This is stupid.'. _She desperately tried to close her eyes and hold back the tears,but the tears wouldn't stay away. They dripped down her cheeks like raindrops, landed on her pale knees and slid down her legs, making tiny puddles on the floor. Naruto sat down with her and held her close, and let her cry. He knew better than maybe anyone else that there were times that someone could be comforted, but sometimes you needed to let the person feel. So he sat there, holding Hinata and letting her cry, and trying to show her that he would be strong, but it wasn't too long until tears slid down his face. He was surprised, and ashamed. Wasn't he trying to be strong?

Maybe Hinata didn't need him to display his strength. Maybe she already knew it too well. Maybe she didn't need to suffer alone. Naruto would suffer with her. For the first time in his life, he cried for someone else. It really astonished him. Hinata was hurt. Not him. He was crying for HER. He didn't cry because he was lonely, or that he lost someone and it hurt HIM. Hinata was hurt. And he realized that when Hinata hurt, so did he. Hinata's hurting hurt him; it was as simple as that.

_"Come on Hinata! PULL!" Naruto yelled as his foot touched the ground. _

_"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!" The two had figured that because of body structure, it would be unfair for Hinata to tie Naruto to her legs and pull with her arms, so she tied him to her arms and was pulling him up with her legs. _

_"Hey, pity me at least a little. I don't get to read a book like you did." Naruto smirked. _

_"You could've while you were on my back!" Hinata snapped in response. _

_"Yes, but your book was boring." _

_"Boring? I love that book!"_

_"Okay. I don't." _

_"Fine, Naruto-kun. I'll be tied to your legs next." She responded, grunting. _

_"No you won't." _

_"Why the heck not?" _

_"Uh, I'd rather not-" _

_"Just tell me." _

_"I sort of didn't have any clean underwear this morning. Maybe tomorrow." Hinata was officially disturbed. _

"_Fine. I'll help you do your laundry. Now, how will I be getting down? It's been about an hour, judging on the positioning of the sun. Can we stop?" Hinata asked. Her arms were as sore as crap, man. _

_"Okay, here." He had prepared a plan beforehand. Now, I shall explain this brilliant plan. _

_Naruto kicked his foot upward. He had been holding a kunai between his toes the whole time, and then he caught said kunai in his mouth. He began to cut through the rope on his wrist, and remembered to put his foot on the tree to support Hinata when the rope let go. When the rope came loose, he put his other foot on the trunk of the tree and cut through the second one. He made sure his chakra was secure so he didn't fall down, (Despite the level of comedy that would account for.) and began to walk up the tree. He found the branch Hinata's feet were attached to, and cut through the first rope, taking care to hold onto Hinata's leg so she didn't break her ankle. He cut through the second rope and pulled her up into the tree. She sat down across from him and panted. _

"_I'm sorry if I was too heavy." He said to her, smiling. She smiled back and attacked him in a hug. _

"_Careful, or you're gonna throw us out of the tree." He said. _

"_Hmm, okay." She responded, laughing. "Now, how about that laundry?" _

"Good Morning, Hinata-chan." Hinata opened her eyes to see two, big, cerulean orbs staring back at her.

"Um, good morning, Naruto-kun." She greeted. He backed up so she could see his entire face and she sat up in bed.

"We're going shopping today." He said. She could see he was already dressed. CRAP! She realized that she was wearing only her bra and underpants. Good thing that she was still holding on to the covers, huh? "Here are your clothes." He handed the shorts and shirt to her, and a shaking hand protruded from the covers to accept them. He laughed and turned around as she threw the shirt over her head and pulled on the shorts.

"Won't it be strange for me to go out like this?" She asked him.

"Well, yeah. Why did you only have that to wear in the first place?" He asked.

"Um, these are supposed to be my nightclothes." He laughed a bit.

"What?"

"I don't know. I just find the phrase 'nightclothes' funny."

"Um, alright. Should we go? I managed to grab a bit of money before…"

"No, Hinata-chan, this is on me, seriously. I got paid a few days ago…"

"Okay. What do I do about my foot?" She pointed to the injured limb.

"Weren't you running on it before?"

"You think that didn't hurt?" She asked. "It…it hurt."

"Oh. Okay-"

"We could wait until it gets better."

"No, I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" He smiled. "Don't worry, I have it all covered." Hinata stood there, shocked. "So, I'll just-"

"Wait!" Naruto stopped and turned around.

"What?" Hinata limped over to him, but before he could protest, she kissed him on the cheek and hugged him.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

_Naruto saw Hinata standing on the bridge, alone. He decided to take this opportunity as a battle advantage and crept up to her as silently as he could. A target was open, the crook of her neck uncovered. He had an ice cube in his hand he had brought just for this occasion. He brought his hand around and strategically dropped the ice cube. _

_"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hinata shrieked and turned around, the ice cube dislodged from its position and began melting on the hot pavement. _

"_Naruto-kun, why did you do that?" She was deprived an answer because the demon-boy was already rolling around on the ground, exploding with laughter. Hinata looked angry as her cheeks flushed, but that was pretty much all she was gonna do about it. Sakura-like, much?_

_"Sorry, Hinata-chan, I just had to." He stopped laughing after a few stifled giggles and got up from the ground. "So, why are you standing here, anyway?" _

"_I was waiting for Sakura." She responded. "We were…" she remembered that Naruto was kind of a pervert. _

"_What?" He asked. _

"_Going to the hot springs." He didn't get a perverted face or anything. Weird. _

"_Why are you doing that? It's the middle of July." _

"_I'm not sure, she just wanted to go." Hinata shrugged. _

"_Hinata-chan!" Sakura turned her around. Naruto's cheeks flushed _

"_Okay, well, bye Naruto-kun." Hinata was pulled away by Sakura, who waved at Naruto and ran off. _

"_Okay, bye Hinata, bye Sakura." He stared as the girls ran in the direction of the hot spring, longingly. Not in a perverted way, mind you, but he felt more comfortable with Hinata than Sakura, which was weird to him. He had always felt attraction to Sakura, but with Hinata, he felt…full. He felt complete. He felt like he belonged. With Sakura he only felt like an outsider, not like they were meant to be together. Maybe, maybe he didn't love Sakura. Maybe he loved…no! He couldn't think that. He loved Sakura. End of story. Right? _

"Hinata! I'm home!" Naruto shut the door with his elbow and ran up the stairs, finding Hinata lying in bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Hi." She greeted.

"I got you some clothes and stuff." Naruto gestured to the bags beside the bedroom door and sat down next to Hinata. "Ino helped me shop for those. She got you some…underwear and…you know."

"Oh! Oh, thank you so much!" She threw her arms around Naruto's neck. "It's so sweet of you, really." She kissed him on the cheek again, causing a slight blush to creep up Naruto's cheeks. He looked at her, and she looked at him. And he held her chin with his hand, practically hypnotized, not aware of what he was about to do, not aware that Hinata was talking to him, asking him what was wrong. He didn't know why he did what he did, and he didn't know how. He just did.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

Part Two

"What…why…" Hinata was at a loss of words.

"I don't know." Naruto responded. "Hinata, I'm sorry, I just, I don't know what I was doing, I'm such and idiot, I-"

"Can we go to the hospital?" Hinata asked, breaking the moment, pretending that nothing happened. Naruto looked at her, stunned, not able to say anything. "I want to get some crutches." She continued. "If you could, let me change, I'll be ready in a few minutes." Naruto didn't say anything. He just got up and left the room.

Hinata touched her lips. Why had he done that? Didn't he love Sakura? And, what's more, why did she act like she didn't want him to do that? Everyone in Konoha knows that she loved him. And she did, she really did. She was so shocked, she didn't think that that would ever happen. She had stopped him because she was shocked. It was unexpected. She pulled on some jeans and brushed her hair, putting it in a braid. She dusted off her new shirt and called for Naruto, who simply came into the room. He looked pale, it was odd. It seemed that he was as shocked as she was. He looked at her sadly and picked her up, bridal-style, and headed toward the stairs gently. Hinata looked up at him and brushed his cheek with her hand gently to get his attention. He looked back at her.

"I'm sorry."

She said nothing back. She was solemn, afraid, confused. She didn't know what to say, but she wanted to say it. Wow, she noticed how much he had knocked the wind out of her. It was the first fainting sensation she had felt in a year or so. "Why did you kiss me?" She asked innocently. He shook his head and shut the house door with one hand as she put her arms around his neck. "You can drop your arms." He said when he was finished. "I don't know, Hinata-chan, I just did. I didn't mean to."

"I know you love Sakura." She looked…mad, believe it or not..

"I do. But I-"

"Then why did you kiss _me_?" She asked, irritated.

"Hinata, I told you, I don't-"

"Am I just a sex toy or something?" Okay, this was bold for Hinata. She almost never spoke out against Naruto. This was such a mood swing, he was kind of scared. She never acted angry. Shy, shocked, happy, yes. But never angry. This wasn't a part of Hinata he had ever touched before. He had never seen her this way.

"No, Hinata, you aren't." He said softly. And that was all that was said.

_"What do you want, baka?" Neji spat at Naruto's feet as he entered the household. _

_"Is Hinata here?" He ignored the spitting and bowed politely. _

_"Yes. She's in her room. What's it to you?" Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Neji backed him up against the wall and grabbed him by the collar. "I know what you want." He whispered in Naruto's ear. "But you can't have it. You are scum. You are not worthy enough to be in the same room as her. Hinata has a husband chosen for her, and we can't have you filling her head up with sh-" _

_"Calm down, Hyuuga." Naruto punched Neji in the stomach. Neji bent over in pain. "I don't love your cousin. She's my best friend, nothing more." Neji sprang back up punched Naruto in the jaw. Naruto felt the blood leaking out of the side of his mouth. _

_"Nonetheless, teme, Hinata has the amount of self-value she needs. We don't need you telling her she's any more special than she already is." Naruto looked up in disbelief and tripped Neji. _

_"Are you kidding? She hardly values herself." _

_"Yeah." Neji got up and kicked Naruto into the dirt outside. "If she isn't that way, we lose control. Stay away." He slammed the door. Naruto wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and walked around to the back of the house, leaping up into a tree. He looked at the curtains of the window, trying to see through them, just trying to make sure he was at the right room. Man, ironically, he really wished he was a Hyuuga now. Crap. Eh, whatever. He heard foot steps coming towards the window and crept back into the branches, trying desperately not to fall. He saw a sweet face as Hinata opened the window. He tried to crawl forward to greet her, but slipped and felt a branch scrape all the way up his leg. _

_Hinata gasped as Naruto's face came out of the tree. _

_"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here? Neji will hear you and-" _

_"I've talked to Neji." He responded with anger in his voice. "Hinata, whatever you do, don't listen to him. Please. You're so much better than he says you are. Trust me." She nodded and smiled. Naruto's jaw dropped. He hadn't noticed how beautiful Hinata looked as the candle she was holding highlighted her face. She heard a knock at her door. _I'll go_, Naruto mouthed to her. She nodded and shut the window. Naruto heard Neji's voice as he maneuvered out of the tree. He looked at his leg, which had a large scrape all the way up his calf. _

_Well, to warn her, it was worth it. To speak to her, it was worth it. All of it, every single bit, was worth it. _

"Sakura, it's okay, I'm sure that Sasuke will return, he'll be fine, I know he'll be fine." Naruto was holding her close and stroking her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. Hinata was whispering words of comfort into her friend's ears and reached out to put her hand on Sakura's shoulder, but her hand collided with Naruto's. She blushed and pulled back.

Sasuke had left the village to find and kill his brother. On one of his recent missions, he had sensed his brother. He wasn't going to let Itachi be that close to Sakura. He wasn't going to let her get hurt.

Sakura didn't know his reasons, he had only left a note telling her why he was gone, and not to follow him, that he had to do it alone. So here Sakura was, crying with her friends, fearing for her fi- boyfriend's life. Naruto would console her, but nothing worked. Eventually, Naruto offered to walk her home. Hinata watched as they left, Naruto's arm still around her shoulder to reassure her.

Oh, Hinata was used to sadness. Practically bored of it by now, really. She ran upstairs and pulled on her pajamas. She sat down and looked at the night sky. She looked at Naruto's 'bed' on the floor. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked healthy. She looked nicer than usual, she looked happier. Maybe it was all the time with Naruto. Maybe not. She was just beginning to get happy, and now this comes along. Nice timing, Sasuke. Hinata understood the importance of this, but she couldn't help being upset. Was it selfish or human? She couldn't tell. She wanted everyone to be happy, but she wanted to be happy too. Maybe it didn't work like that. Maybe she couldn't be happy now. She supposed that she had to be sad for Sakura now, and that was what she would do. She could wait to be happy. She could wait. Longer. So, so much longer.

It was the beginning. Sasuke and Sakura had ended, and Naruto and Sakura had begun. Hinata was the same. She was just along for the ride. She would wait for Naruto. Waiting, waiting was good.

So began the romance between the pink-haired girl and the fox demon. They would walk together, holding hands. They would laugh together. They would shop, eat, and practically live together. Wait, didn't Hinata live with Naruto? Oh, right, Hinata was in the background.

Anyway, Naruto and Sakura had started a 'rebound romance' thing. It was a little unnerving, but for now, it was just cute.

Yeah, to someone who didn't know anyone in the village of Konoha.

"Ugh, this is sickening." Ino snarled as Naruto and Sakura passed by one day, holding hands. "Hinata, aren't you mad or something? Hinata? Hinata! HINATA!" Ino yelled.

"Hm?" Hinata looked up. Ino reached down and pulled Hinata off the ground, handing the injured girl her crutches.

"Hinata, let's go get a cup of tea."

"Why aren't you talking to Naruto about this?" Ino took a sip of tea. Hinata stared at her cup. "Hinata!"

"What?"

"Why aren't you talking to Naruto?"

"About what?" She asked innocently.

"What do you mean? About him and Sakura dating!" Ino practically yelled in a frustrated tone.

"Oh, yeah, they're cute." Hinata sipped some tea as Ino spat hers out in exasperation.

"WHAT? Hinata, you've been in love with him since, like, forever." Hinata hushed her out of embarrassment and leaned in closer.

"As long as he's happy, than so am I." Hinata responded. Ino shook her head.

"Hinata, all Sakura's ever done is ignored him and waited for Sasuke, and now that Sasuke's gone, Sakura is all over Naruto? She's using him to get over Sasuke, can't you see that? And, by the way, you were always there for him. And he's always ignored you. You suffered with him, smiled, cried, laughed with him, done everything you can for him, and he's ignored you. You're just gonna sit there and love him?" Hinata was silent. Ino didn't hold back. "You know, Hinata, sometimes we need to make our own moves instead of letting other people make our life for us. You know Sakura doesn't really love him. You know he isn't as happy as he could be. He's happiest when he's with you, he-"

"Ino, stop it." Hinata stood up and grabbed her crutches. "It's not as simple as you think. I'm going home. Thank you for the tea." And she left the shop.

Hinata knocked on the door of Naruto's house. No response, as usual.

"Naruto! Naruto-kun, it's Hinata! Let me in!" The door opened to reveal none other but the demon fox standing there.

"Hey, Hinata!" Hinata peeked in the door past her friend, but saw no one else.

"Where's Sakura?" Hinata asked, confused.

"She had to leave." Naruto helped Hinata up a step, into the house. "She had an assignment." Hinata made her way over to the couch and sat down.

"What do you want to do?" She asked him. He shrugged.

"Actually, I was gonna go and hang out with Lee tonight." Hinata looked puzzled.

"What? Doesn't he hate you now? For, you know, dating the girl who is the very fiber and being of his existence?"

"No, he's happy that Sakura's happy, and I'm the one making her happy, so he's happy that I'm dating her." Naruto finished his assessment of the situation. Hinata sighed.

"What's wrong? Anything happen with Ino?" He asked, showing practically no concern. Hinata shook her head instead of answering. Naruto shrugged. "Okay, I'll leave, then." Hinata looked up and watched him leave, flinching when the door closed with a 'click'. She dropped her crutches and curled up in a ball on the couch. And she thought. She thought about Naruto, and Sakura, and Ino's words. She thought about her life. Her future had always been decided for her, and she never had a choice. She was a 'lady', the heir of the Hyuuga clan. She was molded and made by her family, she had never known anything beyond what she was supposed to be, she didn't really know who she was. She knew how to be an heir, and a lady, and a ninja of Konoha. The only thing she didn't know how to do, was how to be a person.

She didn't know how to be herself.

So she cried.

Part Three 

Five Months Later

Naruto and Sakura's relationship had grown more close, it had developed into something beautiful. (SO beautiful that everyone that knew them wanted to vomit.) And it had only been a matter of time, so, Naruto did what any boyfriend would do. He proposed to Sakura. And, of course, she said yes. Naruto had never been so happy, and Sakura seemed to be happy too. Ino, on the other hand, was disgusted that they would even consider the idea, and Hinata was numb. She hardly spoke, and when she did, she stuttered. She fainted almost constantly, and she grew paler and weaker every day. But Naruto and Sakura never noticed. They hardly noticed a thing.

"Alright, so this is the official date we've set?" Tsunade asked, pointing to her calendar. Naruto and Sakura both nodded.

"Yup, that date is fine." Sakura smiled in a way that would have made a dog sick. Tsunade rolled her eyes and grabbed a marker to circle the date.

"Alright, now that we have the date set, I can help you plan. Where would you like the wedding to be held?" Sakura excitedly suggested the forest, but Naruto said he preferred an indoor wedding. They met in the middle, and agreed on a garden setting, but the couple would be in a gazebo. Tsunade agreed, and took notes.

"Oh, darn." Tsunade looked at the clock. "I'm sorry, I have a meeting in a few minutes, can we pick this up…" She thought, and called for Shizune. "Shizune, when am I available?"

"Well, you have an open spot next week on Tuesday at 2:00 until 3:30." Shizune read from a planner. Tsunade nodded.

"All right, thank you Shizune. Is that alright for you two?" Sakura thought for a minute.

"Yeah, I think I'm open. Naruto-kun?" (Tsunade flinched at the new suffix.)

"Yeah, I should be free. Thanks Tsunade." The couple left the room, hand-in-hand. As soon as the door shut, Shizune burst out in laughter.

"They aren't serious, are they?" Tsunade looked ready to vomit.

"I think they are. I hope Sakura eventually stops focusing on the wounds that she's causing herself. I don't think she's noticing the wounds she's causing other people. Is Hinata here yet?" Shizune left the room to check. Tsunade had set up a meeting with Hinata, just to check up on her. (Because anyone with a brain could see that she was being treated like crap.) Shizune entered the room with Hinata, who took a chair and sat down as Shizune excited the room. Tsunade did a double-take. The girl in the room was so thin and frail, she looked like she was about to fall off her crutches.

"Ah, Hinata, how are you?" Tsunade asked, gesturing for the girl to take a seat.

"I'm f-fine. H-how are y-you?" Hinata sat and set her crutches next to her.

"Are you alright? You're stuttering."

"Y-yes, I'm alright." She started up her signature finger motion.(sigh)

"Hinata, I don't get it. Why are you so sick?" Hinata shrugged. "Is it Naruto and Sakura?" Hinata shook her head.

"N-no, I'm h-happy for th-them."

"You know that you can tell me anything. I trust you to trust me."

"I-I do, Tsunade. I j-just-"

"Hinata, you were getting so much healthier and each day you grew closer to Naruto. You two fit together so well, we thought that _you_ would be the one with his ring on your finger. And it's odd to me, because Sakura has never been like this with him. Sure they're friends, but she and Sasuke were MADE for each other. And when he left, it was off to the races with her. Now they're a couple and you're in the background. Why isn't his bothering you?" Hinata stayed silent. Tsunade sighed. "Hinata, we need to break them up."

"W-w-why? N-Naruto-kun is so h-happy."

"Two reasons. One, this is destroying your wellbeing. Two, Sakura is pregnant." Hinata's looked up, her eyes widening in surprise.

"WHAT!" (Wow, no stutters.)

"I'm sure of it. I've been studying the way she talks, her attitude, eating habits, all of it fits. She has to be pregnant. And it can't be Naruto who did it." Tsunade shook her head. "I don't think Sakura knows yet, either. She has to suspect something, she's at least five months along. Or she's too scared to admit it. But Naruto and Sakura can't get married."

"N-no. They have t-to. I c-can't bear to s-see him unhappy."

"Hinata, this is destroying you. You grow thinner each day. Show me your arms." Hinata shook her head. "Hinata, please. Take off the jacket. Do it for me." Hinata stayed silent and shook her head. Tsunade came around and tried to grab the jacket, but Hinata screamed and ran for the door. Tsunade caught her in time, shaking the girl.

"**HINATA! Listen to me. If I'm right about what you've been doing, I only want to see the extent of what you've done**! **Don't be scared of me!**" On the contrary, Hinata resorted to biting the Hokage, who didn't let go and just kept her ground, grunting and speaking in a firm tone to let Hinata know that she meant business. "**I am your Hokage. You need to listen to me. This is for your own good.**" Hinata continued to fight, and Tsunade stood her ground**. "What happened to the girl I knew? Stop acting like this. I don't even know you anymore. "**Hinata stopped struggling and went completely limp. Tsunade stood her up and forced the jacket away from her, gasping at he look of the girl's thin body. Hinata was covered in bruises and cuts. All the way up her arms, on her hands, and on the upper portion of her chest was all Tsunade could see because of Hinata's shirt, but she was sure that there were more brusies.Tsunade sat back down, as the shaking girl joined her.

"Tsu-Tsunade?" The Hokage stared at the floor, and did something Hinata had never thought she would do. Tsunade began to cry. Hinata reached out a hand to console her, but Tsunade swatted her hand away.

"Oh, Hinata, what have you done?" Tsunade was able to choke out the words before sobbing seemed to take over her senses. Shizune came into the room and escorted Hinata out of the building shaking her head in shame.

Naruto smiled as Sakura cuddled up closer to him. The room was dark except for one, flickering bluish light coming from the TV. Neither of them were really paying attention to what they were watching. They were waiting for the other to make their move. (As in, it was dark, and there was no one else there.) (Darn the perverted male mind!)

"I love you." Sakura whispered in his ear.

"I love you too." Naruto gave her a small peck on the lips. She kissed him back, with a fuller, more urgent feel. The kissing got stronger and stronger, until Sakura reached under his shirt and felt the muscles in his back and his shoulder blades. Just then, they heard the door open a crack and a very, very loud thumping sound. Naruto broke away from Sakura (Phew!) to find Hinata lying unconscious in the doorway.

Hinata woke to seeSakura's face. Sakura smiled and put a compress on Hinata's head.

"Oh, S-Sakura, I'm s-so s-sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right." Sakura reassured her. "Actually, I should thank you for…'waking us up'. I mean, we were almost, well, we, I-"

"I know w-what you m-mean." Hinata cut Sakura off. Sakura said a few things, but Hinata didn't listen to her. Why wasn't she happy for Naruto? She shouldn't be so selfish, wanting him all to herself. It was odd to her. She didn't cry, she didn't even look sad. She looked a bit aloof and zoned out, but that was okay. She couldn't believe how selfish she was being, wanting Naruto to be with her! He didn't want her. He never did. She should just back off and leave them alone. If that was possible.

"So, um, what's this about you harassing Tsunade?"

"Huh?" Hinata had tuned back into the real world.

"We got a call from Shizune. She told us all about your meeting. What were you thinking about biting Tsunade? And why have you been cutting yourself up?" Sakura looked…not pleased.

"S-Sakura, I was v-very scared, I w-was trying to keep them s-secret."

"Why are they there in the first place? Hinata, I know you have feelings towards Naruto, but you never made a move. So, by fair play, I-"

"Y-you don't love him, d-do you? You're trying to r-recover from Sasuke."

"I don't love Sasuke!"

"Then w-why are you carrying his ch-child?" Hinata looked scared or Sakura, but Sakura looked like she was about to cry.

"How did you find out?" She grabbed her head with both hands and sank to the floor.

"Tsu-Tsunade figured it out, n-not me." Hinata responded. "S-Sakura, Naruto isn't r-ready for that yet. You kn-know that. Wh-why did you do this, why! I, I, I can't believe you!"

"I'm sorry. I was being a total bch, I know. I just wanted my child to be supported if Sasuke-kun didn't come back. I never wanted this to happen, Hinata." Sakura began to sob, and Hinata bent down and put a hand on her back. But Sakura kept sobbing.

"I'm so sorry." She heard Sakura choke. Hinata didn't say anything back, she couldn't think of what to say. Sakura cried even louder. Hinata heard heavy foot steps coming up the stairs. Naruto entered the room and gasped, kneeling down at Sakura's side.

"What happened?" He asked Hinata. Hinata just looked at him. "What did you do?" He yelled at Hinata. Hinata looked taken aback.

"Nothing, I just, she, I, I don't know!"

"Hinata, why is she crying?" Sakura managed to say something, but it came out as a gurgling noise. Naruto leaned in to hear her, but she was still having trouble talking. "What did you DO?" He yelled at Hinata.

"I didn't do anything!" Hinata insisted. Sakura nodded.

"She did do something?" Naruto asked his fiancé. She shook her head. "She didn't do anything?" Sakura nodded. "She_ did_ do something?" Sakura shook her head, frustrated by Naruto's lack of interpretation skills.

"Naruto, I-"

"Just go." Hinata almost gave out a nervous laugh.

"You know, for a while, I've been planning to. You already know about the injuries. I guess it would be better if I left you two alone." Tears flew from Hinata's eyes as she ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"NO! HINATA! DON'T!" Sakura finally managed to stop crying to scream these words. Sakura ran after her, Naruto following in pursuit. Hinata was as fast as lightning, even without her crutches. Um, wait, what? Never mind. Naruto recognized the wooded area that he ran through. Five months earlier, Hinata must have been heading to the same place. Finally, they had reached their destination. A cliff.

And Hinata was standing on the edge.

Naruto had finally made the connection to what was about to happen. No one had noticed that the sky was a deep gray. Hinata turned around as the rain hit the earth, thunder and lightning clapping and flashing all around.

"GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT YOU HERE!" She yelled over the raging rain, her face strained with sadness. She wasn't mad, she just neede time. Nonetheless, Sakura pushed Naruto forward. He got the message and stepped closer to Hinata. Hinata yelled at him, but he didn't listen to her. He just walked and walked, until he was no more than a few feet away.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her.

"Why shouldn't I?" She snapped. He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn't let him speak. "Naruto, all of my life, I've been put down. I've never been myself. I've never had a chance to. I was the heir of the clan, and nothing more. My life was set up, and I was being controlled. There was no one for me to be, because 'Hinata Hyuuga' was already planned. Then, there was you. You were so brave, and you were proud of being who you were. You were the person I wanted to be, the person I needed. And, what's more, when I was with you, I thought I was worth something! I was always told that there was nothing to fight for. So I didn't fight. But then, you came to me, and I fought. Do you know why? Because I loved you!" Tears were streaming down her face, it was easy to tell, even with the rain. Naruto almost began to cry. It was clear that this was something she had needed to say for a long time. Hinata continued.

"All I had was you! You got to know me better and better as we grew, and I felt like I was worth more. After a while, loving you got easier, and it didn't hurt as much when you were around, which was more and more often. I lost my stutter. I didn't faint as much. For once, I felt like life was going right. I knew you loved Sakura, but as long as you were happy, so was I. That's what I thought." The rain kept falling, as did Hinata's tears.

"I am such an idiot. The reason I was disowned is because my wedding was supposed to be soon. I was to marry Neji."

"_Hinata has a husband chosen for her." _The words came back and hit Naruto hard.

"I couldn't do it. I loved you too much. So, I was disowned. I stole money from my father, and he threw two bottles at me as I ran from the house. One bottle broke over my foot. The other hit my arm. I ran away, and he yelled at me.

"_Suddenly, he heard the crash of glass and screaming. He wasn't able to make out the words, but he heard someone running towards him."_

"When I was living with you, I was the happiest girl in the world. When Sakura came into the equation, I tried to stay happy. But I was happy for you, not for me. This made me hate myself for being mad. I tried to punish myself for it."

"_Hinata was covered in bruises and cuts. All the way up her arms, on her hands, and on the upper portion of her chest."_

"I made you angry. I can't live for someone else, I need to live for me. But there's no one there. I'm not good enough for you, it would never work. No one needs me. There is nothing to live for." She was finally finished with her speech.

"Hinata, everyone makes mistakes. I can't let you do this. You tame my temper, you make me complete. No one needs you, but **I** do." He was sobbing at this point. Hinata smiled. Even now, she looked like an angel. Even now, she was as beautiful as ever. Even now, she was brave. She was the bravest human being on earth.

"You have Sakura now." She leaned forward, and pecked him on the lips. "I love you." She meant to control her jump, but she slipped on the wet ground and hit her head.

"_**HINATA-CHAN!" **_

It was all over.

**Part Four: The beginning of, well, a beginning! **

It was a sunny afternoon in the village of Konoha. The hospital was very quiet on this special afternoon. The day before, a life had ended. Today, it began anew.

Sasuke Uchiha leaned against the wall and looked at a sleeping girl. The girl opened her eyes to the world she had tried to leave. Sasuke looked at her in surprise.

"Good, you're up. The entire village is freaked." The girl stayed silent.

"Hinata, did you hear me?" She nodded. Nodding hurt. Her entire body was sore, and she felt completely drained of energy.

"Why am I alive?"

"Naruto saved you. The engagement is broken, by the way. Sakura's mine again." Hinata stared at him in wonder.

"Naruto…saved me?" Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah. I think I'll let him explain it." He stopped for a minute. "I'm glad you're okay." He sounded totally insincere, but it was sweet, all the same.

"Thank you." Hinata smiled as the sunlight lit up her face. "Can I try something when Naruto comes back?"

"We're back." Naruto came into the room and put a vase of fresh roses on the table next to the sleeping Hinata. He tossed Sasuke a paper bag. "Got you a present, Sasuke."

"VIAGRA." He said, opening the bag. "Thanks a bunch." He flipped Naruto off as Sakura began to laugh.

"What can I say? I needed a laugh. Besides, now that Itachi's dead, you're stuck here. I can torment you all you want."

"Ah, the tormenting is the worst of it." Sasuke responded, pulling Sakura close and kissing her on the top of the head. "I don't think I'll be the one needing the VIAGRA." He threw the package at Naruto, who dodged it. The rejected…stuff smacked the wall and landed in the trash can. (Nice aim, Uchiha!)

"Well, I think Sasuke and I need to talk about some things concerning mini-Uchiha." Sakura patted her stomach, which was finally forming a lump. "Bye Naruto. Later, Hinata." Sasuke and his girlfriend left the room, hand-in-hand. Naruto looked at Hinata, a tear sliding down his face.

"I'm sorry." Naruto said out loud. "I know you can't hear me, but I just want you to know that. Sakura isn't the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You are." Hinata opened one eye as his back was turned, but shut it was soon as he turned around. "When I was with Sakura, I was nervous, and I felt like an outsider. With you, I felt complete, and that 'me' was the only thing I should be. You're an angel, and I'm a devil. I'm not good enough for you. But, if I'm not good enough for you, and you're not good enough for me, than I think we're just right. I mean, I think that, maybe we could try it, if you wanted to." He slapped his forehead. "No, that's not what I mean. Okay, I love you. I want to date you. I want this more than anything. Please, please give me a chance." He had said all he could say. He felt like an idiot, confessing his love to a girl who's unconscious. (Or was she?)

"Of course I will." He turned around, tears of joy on his face, only to look at the very girl he loved, her face framed by sunlight, the smile on her lips making him so happy he didn't know what to do. He leaned over to her smiling face and gave her a long awaited, desired, sweet inevitable kiss.

Part Five

Two months later

"Hey, it's your first night as the new Hokage. How do you feel?" Lee asked Naruto, who smiled the biggest smile he could manage.

"Um, freaking awesome!" He responded. His friends were throwing him a party to celebrate the fulfillment of his lifelong goal. Random villagers, Iruka, Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, Shikamaru, Tsunade, Gai (who invited HIM?), Kakashi, Ino, Tenten, Neji (Hinata insisted), Sai (again, who invited HIM?) Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, Jiraya, and the Sand Squad had already arrived. There was one guest missing.

"Where's Hinata?" Naruto asked Sasuke.

"I dunno. Why?"

"Um, she's my **girlfriend**?" Sasuke shrugged. Naruto wandered around, asking every guest the location of his girlfriend. He walked up to a girl and turned her around to ask her.

"Hi, Naruto-kun." It was no one other than Hinata. Naruto's heart practically stopped. She was wearing a dress that was whiter than the moon, with flat, silver shoes and flowers woven into her wavy hair. Naruto was speechless. She gave him a full kiss.

"I couldn't be prouder of you." She whispered into his hear as she embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered to her,

"I love you."

"I love you too." She responded. This dream of being with him, it was always out of her grasp. But she had him now, and she felt full. She felt complete, she wasn't planned anymore and above all, she finally felt Human.


End file.
